


Impressionists and Expressionists and Romantics

by AllieChick



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: FBI Agent!Erwin, M/M, Modern AU, art stuff, art thief!Levi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-29
Updated: 2014-09-29
Packaged: 2018-02-19 05:13:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2375990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AllieChick/pseuds/AllieChick
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Erwin is a fresh new FBI agent on the Art Theft team when he gets put on the case for Rivaille, art thief and craftsman of fakes. Unfortunately, Rivaille takes a special interest in this attractive young agent after him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Impressionists and Expressionists and Romantics

**Author's Note:**

> This is for a prompt fill from an anon on tumblr that got away from me a bit. 
> 
> I spent about 20 minutes trying to come up with a good art pun for the title. I hope you all appreciate my efforts.

Erwin first heard of Rivaille the week after he joined the FBI Art Theft team. 

“This is the third theft by the one who refers to themselves as Rivaille,” Nile, the head of the team, explained as he lead Erwin and his partner Mike through the museum. “He always leaves a replica that’s almost indistinguishable from the original, but it’s signed by Rivaille We can’t be certain when theft took place, the fake was only noticed this morning by a museum patron.” 

Nile stopped in front of the fake in question, Seurat’s Grand Jatte, which took up the whole wall. Instantly, Erwin could tell the painting was an excellent imitation. The precise brushwork technique of colored dots looked nearly exact. The unique display of light and color was captured perfectly. A replica on such a scale would take an immense amount of time and patience. Erwin was impressed. 

“He’s good,” Erwin remarked. 

“The attention detail is amazing,” Nile agreed. 

Beside him, Mike took a step closer, examining the brushwork closely and taking a small sniff. “Even the pigments are period authentic,” he declared quietly. 

“We’re having it set to the lab for infrared refectography. Rivaille usually leaves a little message on the canvas as an underdrawing,” Nile explained. “Smith, you and Zacharius are being put as lead investigators on the case. We could use some new perspective on this one. So far none of the stolen paintings have shown up on the black market, according to our contacts. We have to assume Levi is working directly with private collectors or has taken the pieces for themselves.”

Erwin listened closely as Nile briefed them, while also carefully inspecting the painting. Whoever this Rivaille was, they incredible patience in skill, just in making the imitation. Not to mention they were able to remove a nearly 7x10 foot painting from a museum without anyone noticing. Clearly, Rivaille wasn’t working alone.

* * *

“The results from the refectograph are back,” Mike said, dropping a folder onto Erwin’s desk. 

Erwin had been in the middle of comparing the Rivaille with the original, looking for flaws in the work, as well as comparing the other two pieces that had been stolen, Picasso’s Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, and Vermeer’s Woman Holding a Balance. All the pieces were iconic and too famous to be sold at auction, but nothing had turned up about their whereabouts. 

“Anything interesting?” Erwin asked as he flipped through the folder.

“Just a snarky message,” Mike replied. 

‘Any leads yet? <3 Rivaille’ was scrawled in neat handwriting across the middle of the canvas. There was nothing else. 

“Has handwriting analysis found anything useful?” Erwin asked. 

Mike shrugged. “Just that it matches the handwriting of the messages on the previous two imitations.”

With a frown, Erwin reviewed the information for himself. This was very impressive thieving.

“I don’t understand,” Erwin said pensively. “We’ve had three pieces from three different art movements stolen without a trace from three different museums in the course of 2 years. The time and effort put into the imitations astounds me. But what’s the purpose? The messages and their signature show that Rivaille expects them to be discovered as fakes. Clearly, they’re able to get the works out of the museums without needing the imitations. So why do they bother?” 

“Perhaps Rivaille is showing off their skill?” Mike suggested. “They’ve made impressive fakes in a wide range of techniques.” 

“More importantly, where are the works going?” Erwin asked. It was a rhetorical question of course. Most of the team agreed the works were going straight to a private collectors, which if that were the case, the paintings might not ever be discovered. 

* * *

It was exactly 5 months later, when another museum was visited by Rivaille. This time it was an international incident; the painting Fragonard’s The Swing from a museum in London having been taken. Again, Rivaille’s copy was nearly impeccable. 

However, this time the message underneath the oil paints was intriguing. 

“It seems you’ve caught their attention,” Mike observed with amusement. 

‘Welcome to the case, Agent Handsome Eyebrows. <3 Rivaille’ read the message. 

“How are you sure it’s me the message is referring too?” Erwin asked, though he knew the answer. He was simply surprised by the attention. “Do you think Rivaille has an informant? How would he know I’m on the case?” 

Mike shrugged. “If Rivaille can gain access into the top museums in the world, I doubt they have a hard time getting information like that.” 

“Clearly this is just a game to them,” Erwin remarked. “Perhaps we’re dealing with a bored artist? If this were just for money, would Rivaille risk messages like this that have the potential to reveal their identity?” 

“Maybe they’re overconfident,” Mike suggested. 

Nile made Erwin make a public statement in response to Rivaille’s little note for him. Erwin didn’t want to; it was indulging the criminal in their own game and Erwin had better uses of his time. Still, Nile was his superior and now the case was becoming international. It was likely to be taken off of his hands soon anyway. 

“I’d like to thank Rivaille for their compliment, but it should be known that I see this message as nothing short of a challenge,” Erwin stated in the press conference. The horde of reporters had dozens of questions, but Erwin answered none of them and didn’t add anything to his statement. 

The next morning, a large mural had been painted on the side of Erwin’s apartment building. In the center, painted in that neat handwriting Erwin was all too familiar with were the words, ‘Getting competitive are we?’

Immediately after, Erwin was taken off the Rivaille case and moved to another apartment complex.

* * *

There was another painting stolen with another message for Erwin, but he wasn’t given the information. Nile felt it was dangerous, with Rivaille being far too interested in him. Erwin was frustrated, feeling like this art thief was taunting him, but there was nothing he could do, unless he started investigating on his own time against the orders from his department. 

That measure seemed too extreme, until Erwin received a note in his mailbox three weeks later. 

My Dear Agent Brows,  
It’s a shame you were taken off the case. I was just starting to have fun, with a gorgeous thing like you chasing after me. Thankfully, you’re not a hard man to track down. Maybe we should meet sometime and talk about art.  
<3,   
Rivaille

Of course, Erwin immediately informed Nile of the letter and it was sent away for analysis. Nile suggested that Erwin move apartments once again, but Erwin considered it useless. 

“Clearly, Rivaille has their resources. I doubt it’ll make any difference,” Erwin explained impatiently. This Rivaille seemed to know so much about him, while he in return had discovered very little. Perhaps he could use this interest in him to get information. 

Erwin was determined to find Rivaille and willing to do anything to do it.

* * *

It turned out, Erwin didn’t have to wait long for another unaddressed letter to arrive in his mailbox. They came almost weekly. 

Some were very short, saying nothing of importance. ‘I’m bored’ or ‘That agent with the pathetic facial hair is terrible at his job.’ 

Other’s gave information about Rivaille’s latest thefts. ‘Paris is lovely this time of year.’ or ‘Many say it’s nearly impossible to copy Caillebot’s layering technique exactly, with how well he hid his work. Those people are idiots.’ 

On many occasions Rivaille inquired after how Erwin was doing. ‘How’s work? Probably boring being off my case.’

Sometimes, there was simply a sketch of Erwin, walking down the street or sitting by the window.

What should have probably concerned Erwin, he actually started to look forward too. The letters became a regular entertainment during his weekly routine. It was a little flattering, if Erwin was honest with himself. He didn’t worry about Rivaille coming after him, as it had come apparent that Rivaille meant no harm. Well, excluding the art theft. 

It was a few months into receiving letters, that Rivaille starting sharing information about themselves. Erwin learned Rivaille was male, around his age, with loads of money inherited from a distant relative, and an apparent skill with art. At the first letter with personal information, Erwin knew he should report it to the department. This information would surely be useful in tracking down Rivaille and the now 6 stolen paintings. 

But Erwin kept these personal letters for himself. 

And then he wrote back. 

Erwin had no idea why he decided to, but he started to respond to Rivaille’s personal letters with some of his own. They swapped stories of distant fathers and rough childhoods. Erwin described in detail how he came to study art history as well as law enforcement and ended up in the FBI Art Theft team. In turn, Rivaille described how he struggled to pursue his passion for art. 

At one point, Rivaille wrote, ‘I want to meet you in person.’ 

Erwin was surprised by his reaction. He wanted to meet Rivaille in person as well. But there was no way he could that without informing Nile, without Rivaille being arrested. He was surprised that he didn’t want Rivaille to be caught. 

Erwin knew this wrong of him to think this. 

He wrote back, ‘I want that too. But I’m afraid that’s not possible while you’re an internationally wanted criminal.’

* * *

Three days later, Erwin woke up to a phone call from Mike. 

“The art’s back!” Mike said without greeting. 

“What?” Erwin responded groggily, rubbing at his eyes and checking the clock. 

“The art, the art stolen by Rivaille,” Mike explains. “The janitors found it all this morning at the office.” 

Right at that moment, before Erwin could even try and comprehend what Mike was trying to tell him, the doorbell rang. 

“Erwin, you have to get in,” Mike said in a rush. 

“I… I’ll call you back,” Erwin said in a daze as he stumbled to his door. He unlocked and opened the door without checking the peephole. Standing in his hallway, was a short, dark haired man. He looked at Erwin with heavy lidded eyes and a small smirk. 

“Um, can I help you?” Erwin asked. 

“Yes Erwin,” the man said in a low voice. “My name is Levi and you owe me a meeting now.”

**Author's Note:**

> As always, you can find me at alliechick.tumblr.com


End file.
